Only once

This morning, I read something - in a trashy crime novel! - that made me think. 'Once the worst has happened, it can't happen again'. This was written in relation to the death of our parents, and, in fact, I remember thinking something very similar when my own parents died. It didn't help, but at least I knew I wouldn't experience that pain again.

Today, those words touched a nerve. One of the things my GP said to me recently is that people who've had cancer often worry more about 'routine tests' than people who haven't. That's probably true; I've blogged over the years about how tense I become when I have to have a check-up of any sort, for instance. If I have even the most minor of illnesses, I panic that I may have another form of cancer. I've said that it's not the fact of having cancer that worries me, but of having to make decisions about what to do next. Reflecting this morning, I had a sudden revelation; the reason I feel this way is that the worst has already happened. I'll never hear those words, 'Well, the tests reveal that you do have cancer' for the first time again, but if I do hear them once more, I'll then have to make those decisions.

So, my thought for the day is that while lighting may strike twice or more, the worst can only ever happen once.

Carpe diem! Make the most of it now while you have the opportunity.